Farragut business owners challenge town sign rules

Military trucks advertising Knoxville Academy of Martial Arts and Silo Cigars are parking in a shopping center on Kingston Pike on Wednesday, February, 12, 2014. The trucks have sparked a controversy over violation of the Farragut sign ordinance. (Roger Harris/News Sentinel)

FARRAGUT — Could the controversy over changes to a vehicular sign ordinance in Farragut be an unintended consequence of the town's already stringent sign ordinances?

Paul Warner, owner of Silo Cigars, whose 2.5-ton military truck has become a symbol in the sign battle, posed that question to members of the Farragut Visual Resources Review Board earlier this week.

Warner said one reason that businesses such as his have sought increased visibility with vehicular signs is because the town already tightly controls signs. Among other things, town codes restrict the size and color of the sign he can place on his business, he said.

"It could in some way be that businesses are deficient and undersigned," he suggested.

The VRRB heard Monday from several businessmen who questioned the town's need to closely control signage. A proposed change in the town's regulations could prohibit vehicles with signs on them from being parked in view of a public street.

"What's the big deal?" asked John Elliott, owner of Elliott's Boots. He said that in his experience with six other retail stores, he has never heard of a town trying to maintain such control over business signs.

The panel truck parked outside Elliott's Campbell Station Road store is not a vehicular sign but a mobile retail store, he said. He questioned whether the use of such a vehicle, as well as issues such as the color of signs, should be left up to the board.

"It comes down to the opinion of the residents of this town. We're all residents of this town," said board member Marty Layman.

Board member Cynthia Hollyfield said business owners who come to Farragut are often pleasantly surprised to learn that the stories they have heard about the town being unfriendly to business are not true.

"I have never heard that," Elliott responded.

Phil Dangle, owner of the Shrimp Dock in Farragut, said he would like the flexibility to park his company vehicle anywhere in the parking lot in front of his store.

"If the truck moves every day, who cares?" he asked.

Dangle said he thought the controversy over the vehicular signs was hurting the "business friendly" image the town was working hard to create.

Farragut resident and business consultant Bill Johns told the board that the proposed changes to the ordinance would be "opening a can of worms," including possibly legal liability for the town.

Warner told the board that he purchased the heavy duty military vehicle because it met his transportation needs and reflected the image his store wanted to project. He said he has tried to stay within the guidelines in the ordinances but has found the changes to the rules to be problematic.

"It effectively bans all vehicles with signs," he said.

Warner said he wondered if his business was being treated fairly and suggested that the result could be legal liability for the town.

Town attorney Tom Hale reviews all proposed ordinances, said Mark Shipley, interim community development director.

Allison Sousa, an official with the Farragut Business Alliance, said the FBA was not taking a position on the vehicular sign ordinance but would ask its members what they think about proposed sign ordinance changes.

VRRB member Jeanie Stow said the proposed changes might be too restrictive.

"If they incur the cost of the vehicle, they should be able to park it anywhere they want to," she said.

The VRRB will hold a special called meeting to adjust the wording of the ordinance before presenting a new ordinance to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The special meeting has not been scheduled, but Layman said it could be held in the spring.